Salina man guilty of murder in child’s abuse death

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Salina man has been convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in the abuse death of his girlfriend’s 14-month-old son.

The Salina Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1cenp8Q ) a jury returned the verdict against 35-year-old Antonio Brown on Friday — two years to the day after Clayden Urbanek died of what doctors at a Wichita hospital called some of the worst abuse they had seen.

The case was tried in Riley County on a change of venue. Brown will be sentenced Oct. 25 in Saline County.

Prosecution witnesses included 21-year-old Brittney Betzold, the toddler’s mother. Betzold is serving 13 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for failing to protect Clayden.

The abuse occurred over several days after the couple agreed Brown would care for the boy while Betzold worked to support the couple.